Microsatellites and nanosatellites have been developed for use in space. The development and use of small space systems is likely to increase with new technologies. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,300,158 titled Integrated Solar Power Module, a method is described for producing thin film solar cells that are integrated with a multilayer printed wiring board and power processing electronics. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,127,621 a novel architecture for a satellite power system is described using various electronic devices such as power regulators. This architecture decentralizes the generation, distribution, and storage of electrical energy on the spacecraft using many individual electronic chargers and regulators. Traditionally, the battery is a separate component on the spacecraft. The battery is typically composed of a number of individual battery cells connected in a series to provide the necessary voltage to the bus. The batteries and individual battery cells may also be connected in parallel to provide the necessary curt to the bus. In the power system, each individual battery cell is connected to a main power distribution bus with a respective individual DC-DC converter that performs the function of providing current to the battery from the bus when sufficient energy is available from attached power sources, and, to supply power from the battery to the bus when the power from the power sources is insufficient to supply power to a load connected to the bus.
Typically, power distribution, power processing, and load electronics are mounted on rigid or flexible printed wiring boards with the battery located in a remote and completely separate battery housing structure. The separation of the battery from the powered electronics disadvantageously requires the use of macroscale power bus systems.
The battery cells of a battery are usually contained in a metal or plastic container with two terminals. The power electronics are usually remotely mounted on rigid or flexible printed wiring boards. In some cases, the battery cells have been mounted on printed wiring boards to provide some capability to store electrical energy locally to the power electronics. However, the battery cells only supplies power, and needs charging and discharge electronics, and hence, additional electronic power devices are used with the battery cells. It is difficult to meet the dual function requirement for small satellites with existing battery cell technology because a battery typically does not have self-contained electronic chargers and regulators disadvantageously requiring the remote, separate, and discrete electronic devices. New thin film batteries have been made using solid electrolytes. This thin film battery technology has the advantage of utilizing spray or vacuum deposition processes. However, such thin film batteries are stand-alone devices and require distal power routing to electronics devices. These and other disadvantages are solved or reduced using the invention.